Continuation
by Wkdly.Rita
Summary: A continuation from my previous story, 'Winter in NYC'. No proper title or anything yet, just going to see how this goes.
1. Chapter 1

When spring came at last it was met with much relief. The warmer weather made a great deal of difference to Einstein in particular, as the cold had made him more stiff and uncomfortable in his old age. As the change swept through, a spring was back in his step, and for the time being at least, Einstein was not feeling his age.

Rita woke slowly, there was no real rush as they were going through a good spell. She was vaguely aware of Tito and Francis bickering. It was a sign she'd overslept, clearly they'd both been up long enough to get on one another's nerves, granted, that didn't always take long. Rita sighed- for all that they were at each other, Francis and Tito were very close, but the noise wasn't exactly welcome for someone trying to enjoy a comfortable lie in. Still, it was not worth the effort to sort them out. She rolled over, trying to block the noise out. Blearily looking across the barge, she saw that Dodger was still fast asleep. She smiled and watched him for a few moments. Things were good between the two of them, and Dodger had been happier since Oliver had worked out how to get to and from the barge without assistance, and so visited more often. Rita was startled by a wet splash onto her snout and looked up to see Einstein standing over her, drooling.

"Good morning!" Einstein said cheerfully.

"Morning, Einy." Rita smiled. She didn't particularly enjoy being dribbled on, but it was hard to begrudge Einstein that, he couldn't help it. She shook herself and got to her feet. Instantly, Francis and Tito fell quiet, knowing that Rita was prone to snapping at them when they fought. Rita was rather satisfied by their response to her presence, it sure made life easier. As always, her first port of call for the morning was to greet Fagin who was resting half-asleep in his chair, with a lick (or several) and an enthusiastic series of tail wags.

Rita sidled up to Dodger's bed, figuring he'd slept long enough. "Dodge, you awake? You know you've got work to do, right?"

Dodger opened one eye and grinned. He quickly grabbed Rita by her ear, and with a paw over her side pulled her roughly of her paws and onto his bed. She laughed as they tangled playfully, sending Dodger's cushions flying. It was only moments before the pair slid to the floor in a heap also, and needing no more encouragement, Einstein and Tito were on top of them biting and growling, with Francis only a short way behind.

"Great job Dodger, look what you've started." Rita said, after pulling herself briefly from the flailing mass of paws and teeth. Caught up in the good feeling of the morning, she was soon back in the fray. After all, _someone _needed to kick the others into line.

"Woah, woah- calm down! It's a bit early in the day to be scrapping, come on- no! Enough!" Fagin's words fell on deaf ears as he got up to sort his dogs out. "Looks like we'd better get going, you all got to burn some energy off. Come on boys, cut it out!"

Finally the rumble died down as everyone was eager to get out into the city. Still laughing as they headed out, Rita walked close to Dodger and exchanged an affectionate glance. Stepping out into the sun, Rita took a moment to appreciate the beautiful day. The sea was shimmering in the bright light, and the city was full of colour- and so inviting.

"You comin', Rit?" Dodger called her from the back of the scooter, budging up a little to encourage her to sit beside him.

Arriving back at the barge mid-afternoon, Rita was surprised to see someone already there.

"Hey kid, how long have you been waitin' here?" Rita greeted Oliver with a friendly nuzzle. He was now a little over a year old and filling out, becoming quite a large cat. Even though he was now a young adult, Oliver was still referred to by the dogs as 'the kid', not that he particularly minded.

"Not too long, I wasn't really sure what time you'd be back- I really better get back home soon as Jenny's finishing school for the day." He was a bit disappointed that everyone was out when he came to the barge, it was always quite hit-and-miss when he visited during the day.

"I'll take you home if you want, I could probably get you back quicker."

"You don't mind?"

"Nah, it's no problem. I get to catch up with you properly that way." Rita wagged her tail cheerily.

The pair headed back out onto the docks and started towards Oliver's home. Rita crouched, inviting the cat to ride on her back. Being more used to riding around on Dodger's back (with a bandanna to hang on to!) Oliver was sure to hang on tight, his paws around Rita's neck, careful not to dig his claws in. It wasn't actually too uncomfortable, Rita moved much less erratically than Dodger did, with long, graceful strides. It was only when she started leaping around through the traffic that Oliver had to struggle slightly to stay on board.

"It's great that I can see you guys more often, now I know my way around a bit more," Oliver said.

"Yeah, I know Dodger's been enjoying havin' you around as well." Rita responded, as she carried on through the back streets.

"Maybe I could bring Evie sometime, she's gotten a whole lot more confident."

Rita slowed down a little. "I don't know if that's a good idea, kid. If she got into trouble with Flint's gang before, someone might recognise her- you could both end up in way over your heads. And then we'd have to help you out, really kid, it could get messy."

Oliver sighed, disappointed. "I didn't think of that so much. What are the chances of one of them seeing her in a city of this size anyhow?"

"It's not likely- but you do need to keep in mind how dangerous some of these dogs are. If she really wants to get out for a bit, let us know when in advance so we can come with you both. Just a bit of back up as a precaution."

"Alright, that sounds good." Oliver cheered up a little. "Are there a lot of dog gangs around here?"

"Not really, most groups of dogs on the streets are quite loose, there's a lot of coming and going. There are a couple of places where a load of dogs will meet up, but a lot of them don't really know each other. There are a few serious gangs, like Flint's lot, but there aren't many around thankfully."

Oliver realised how little he actually knew about the lifestyle he'd left behind all those months ago.

"So how did you guys all get together then?" he asked.

"Well, to start with it was just Fagin and Einstein, they just sorta found each other. It was just the two of them for a few years, and then Dodger came along- they raised him, and then Dodge brought me home. We were just kids then, Dodge and me, we grew up on the streets. He used to say I was his 'apprentice'." Rita grinned, "Francis and Tito came along later, Fagin found them. It was a bit - er, chaotic to start with, Francis wasn't really used to livin' with other dogs and Dodge and I were maybe a bit full on back then, we were teenagers and we didn't exactly make it easy for him. Frankie used to always say that we were a bad influence on Tito, but was never giving Tito enough credit, he didn't need any influence to be a pain in the tail; it came naturally to him."

Oliver laughed, trying to imagine his friends as adolescents.

"But, it all worked out in the end, I guess some of us grew up- or one of us anyway. We're family now, and I wouldn't trade it for anything, I love those guys." Rita finished as she trotted along beside the fence surrounding the park.

He'd never regretted his decision to stay with Jenny, but Oliver couldn't help wondering how he'd have fitted in if he'd never left the gang. He regarded them as his second family, and often felt torn as he wanted to see more of them, especially Dodger, but at the same time couldn't lose sight of his responsibility to Evie who relied on him greatly.

Rita stopped outside the house and gazed through the window. "Best I don't come in, right?"

"Yeah," Oliver said sadly, "Mrs Foxworth's not so keen to have you guys hanging around the house, not now she's home waiting for the baby to come."

"You say 'hi' to Evie for me though," Rita said, "And Georgette as well if you catch her in a good mood."

Oliver chuckled, "It might happen, if we're lucky. I'll see you round then. Thanks for taking me home."

"Anytime, kid." Rita winked and turned to go, "See ya later."


	2. Chapter 2

Rita rolled onto her back and pawed at Dodger's side affectionately. The two of them had been enjoying the evening out and about together, with work done for the day they gladly took advantage of the chance to have some time alone. In the weeks since the change in their relationship it had been a bit of an adjustment, particularly for Dodger as he did struggle somewhat to keep a lid on his tendency to flirt and play around with random women out on the streets. Their relationship was pretty relaxed, but Rita did tire of Dodger's antics. Still, things were getting better all the time and both had reached a point where they were content with the arrangement. Out on the docks there was no one else around, so the pair could freely express their affections to one another without intrusion. Dodger was eager to hear how Oliver was, knowing that Rita had spent time with him that afternoon.

"You might have to go 'round and see the kid soon, he's wanting to take Evie out. I figured it would be best if they were accompanied, just to be safe." Rita said, sitting up after a playful bout of roughhousing.

"What, you're worried about Flint or something?" Dodger stretched out, completely at ease, "Ya know it's not like those creeps are likely to be hangin' around those parts, there's hardly any chance at all of her getting spotted by anyone, and besides, that was months ago, she looks real different to when she last saw any of them."

"You're right, I know you're right." Rita sighed, "It's just the thought of that kid gettin' mixed up in all that…" She shivered involuntarily.

"Don't worry about it," Dodger winked, "It'll be good to hang out with the kid anyhow, and in the unlikely event of an emergency, they'll have the Dodge to help them out. And if he needs any romantic advice with Evie, who better to help with that too?"

Rita scoffed, "Honey, you are the last person to be giving romantic advice. We're together in spite of your way with the ladies, not because of it." She licked his cheek with a smirk.

"Thanks Rita, it's good to know my contribution to our partnership is appreciated." Dodger nipped at Rita's ear. "Love you."

"Love you too Dodgie-baby," Rita laughed, and she leaned into him and they shared a tender kiss.

Dodger grinned, and nuzzled Rita's chest and neck. He loved being close to her, and their connection had only gotten stronger. Rita gently bumped her head against his and grinned. Even after all the weeks they'd been together, Rita was still filled with excitement at having Dodger close to her and giving her his trust. She allowed her concerns for Oliver to disappear from her mind for a while and let herself relax and just enjoy being with Dodger. With no reason to rush off home, the pair snuggled close and allowed themselves to lose all track of time in one another's company.

They headed home some hours later and quietly padded past their sleeping friends. Recently, Winston had gifted Fagin a small sofa-bed, which had quickly become a greatly sort after place to sleep. Fagin was slowly being edged to a smaller and smaller portion of the bed as Einstein happily stretched out, snoring in contentment. Francis was snoozing in the space between outstretched fore and hind legs, and Tito was, as usual, using his companion as a mattress. Comfortable though the new piece of furniture may have been, Rita headed straight for her usual bed. In her eyes, the thought of sleeping in such a cramped area was not favourable, no matter how comfy the bed was nor how much she loved her friends. She settled down and closed her eyes, ready to drift off.

"Hey Rit, you want some company in there?"

Rita opened her eyes and saw Dodger sitting beside her bed.

"Really Dodger? I know I got myself the best spot, but I don't know why you think I'd want to share with you, I don't need keepin' warm. What's in it for me?" She feigned a frown.

"Wait, I'll make it worth the intrusion," Dodger made a beeline for his bed, pulled out a couple of cushions and dragged them back across to Rita.

"Nice try, but if there's barely enough room for the two of us, you're not going to win me over by takin' up more of my space." She budged over to one side all the same, "But if you insist…" She pulled a pillow in tucked it comfortably under her forelegs and rested her head. "It's a good thing you're just a little mutt, you might be able to squeeze in here."

Dodger lay down next to her, resting his head on her neck. "Night, Rita." He closed his eyes, "We should hang 'round the park tomorrow, might take the kid out for a bit."

"Sounds good," Rita whispered sleepily, "Night, Dodge."

* * *

In the Foxworth's 5th Avenue mansion, Oliver was merrily playing with Jenny, tumbling around on her bed. With a new baby on the way, and her parents largely distracted, Jenny was lonely and took a great deal of comfort in the companionship of her animals. Oliver was devoted to her as ever and was concerned that she was struggling with the changes taking place in her life. Evie watched them quietly, smiling to herself.

"Jennifer! I think it's time you went to bed!" A voice came from the hallway.

"Okay Winston," Jenny called back. "That's enough playing for tonight, Oliver, it's getting late." She headed off to wash before bed, leaving her cats sprawled on the bed.

"So Oliver, are you going to take me out into the city soon then?" Evie asked, "You've not mentioned the idea since this morning."

"Sorry Evie, I was going to talk to you about that, I've been so busy taking care of Jenny."

"Jenny's fine, you practically live on her lap, she can't really be lonely with you around."

"But she is lonely, I feel responsible for making sure she's alright." Oliver responded, somewhat defensively.

"I'm not criticising, I think it's sweet that you care about her so much. I'm just not into the constant cuddles thing myself." Evie stretched out, her body much fuller in figure than when she'd first become a fixture of the Foxworth household.

Oliver laughed, he didn't imagine would ever be the outgoing sort, she definitely liked to keep herself to herself. "Anyway, I did talk to Rita about taking you out with me," Oliver furrowed his eyebrows, "She didn't seem that keen on the idea actually, which kinda surprised me. She's worried you might get spotted by someone, you know, from back before you came to us."

Evie suddenly looked very unnerved. "But that wouldn't happen, right? They don't really come around these parts I didn't think."

"Yeah, Rita said it's unlikely. I think she just wants to make sure we're careful about it, she said you should go out with the gang so you've got at least some back up in an emergency."

"Really?" Evie sighed, "How am I supposed to actually enjoy myself if I've got five dogs round me the whole time? I like them, really I do, but I don't know if I could handle that kind of situation." Much as she wanted to get out and live a little- and spend more time with Oliver when he went out and about, Evie found the prospect was getting more and more unattractive.

Seeing the look on Evie's face, Oliver rubbed his face against hers in what could best be described as a cat hug, "Hey, we'll sort something out, I promise."

Evie purred appreciatively, and got up and quietly retreated to her own bed, a sturdy basket with a wonderfully soft and squashy cushion. She curled up, and watched as Oliver greeted Jenny, who was now all ready for bed and, as always, settling down with Oliver right by her side.

"Goodnight Oliver, goodnight Evie." Jenny said sleepily.

Evie closed her eyes, and smiled to herself. No matter what, she was grateful for Oliver, she'd never known another cat quite like him and she couldn't imagine having a better friend to help her get through all her troubles.


End file.
